THE MERCAT OF —ITS SITE AND FORM. 377

IX. THE OF EDINBURGH, FROM 1365 TO 1617—ITS SITE AND FORM. BY PETEK MILLER, F.S.A. SOOT. remarkabla s i t I e circumstance, considerin e thousand-and-onth g e historical events that were enacte Crose th f t Edinburgdsa o h previous to its removal to a new site lower down the High Street in 1617, that the greatest dubiety now exists as to its earlier site. It is equally matte f surpriso r e thae manth t y memorable transaction- sin thae ar t delibly associated with this structure d whican , h have been handed dow y historyb n , thae precisth t e situatio e Cros th s bee f ha so n n altogether left out of sight in these records. Ther e fewar e , certainl o correcyn r reliableo t , e citplanf th yo f o s Edinburgh prio thao t rf Gordo o t f Eothiemay'sno , publishe n d1647i . The sketch-plan contained in the Journal of the Siege of the Castle of Edinburgh in 1573 reprinted , an Miscellanye th n di e oth f Bannatyne Club (fig. 1), and also the Bird's- Eye View of the city given in the Cities World,e oth f publishe 1575n di bote ar , h much alik thein ei r incorrectnes detailf so , and neither of them give any indication of the existence of a cross in the High sketch-plae Streetth n I . f 1573no , how- ever, some houses clustering about the Fig. 1. south-east cornet GilesS f o r ' Churcht a , the Kirk Style, are given which appear to correspond with certain entries in the Town Council Kecords and other documents. The accompanying cut is taken from that plan, as it gives one a rough idea of what that locality was at that time. e commonTh , opinio thas ni t the Cross stood somewher norte th n heo side of St Giles' Church. This was the opinion of James Drummond, who read an elaborate paper to this Society on llth February 1861,1 on 1 Pros. Scot. Ant. Sac,, vol. iv. p. 86.j 378 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JUNE 14, 1886.

" Scottish Merest , more especially the Mercat Cross of Edin- ," in whic e giveh a representatios f whero n e t estoodi h d an ; also expresse dvera y stron vera t ygbu erroneou sfore opinioth mo t s na e Crosoth f s taken dow 1617n ni . David Laingintroductios hi n i , o nt the Chartulary of St -Giles, expresses the opinion that it stood near the Lady's Steps, a niche on which stood an image of the Virgin Mary, and where there also was an entrance door to the church on the eastern t GilesgablS f o e. Tha r DrummonM t s e mislepaucitth dwa y b dy of evidence on which he based his opinions when he wrote in 1861, will be apparent froe additionamth l evidenc produceew thano s i t d bots ha Crosevidencd e e actuas form alsit d th Ol Th f san oo e o . t l th site f eo he chiefly relied upon as fixing the site was an extract from Birrel's Diary :l— On the 10 July 1598, ane man, suine callet him a juglar, playit sic supple tricks upon ane tow quilk wes festinet betwixt the top of St Geills' Kirk stieple and ane stair beneath the crosse, callit Josias Close held, the lyk was never seen in this country as he raid the tow and played sae maney pavies on it. This close head has recently been identified with the close now known as Allan's Close, on the east side of the Koyal Exchange. This state- men f Birreo t s corroboratei l n entra n y thei yb d - City Treasurer's Account, two days later, of a payment made by the treasurer. Item, f Jule o sai th 2 y d1 payi Robero t t Stewart Activitf callio r M tr yfo his playing upon ane tow betwixt the steiple and the Croce conform to ane precept vj lib. xii iii. js . jd This last notice was used by the late Mr Duncan M'Laren, in his statement made in the Town Council in 1861, to prove that the old Cross stoo dt Giles S wes f o o noticet' Churchtw e s Th rea. d together only show that the 'structure stood somewhere east of St Giles' steeple. Gordo f Kothiemay'no se city plath f ,n o lai d down from actual survey and publishe 1647n i d , about thirty years d afte ol removae th e r th f o l

"Diar Roberf yo t Birrel," in Fragments of Scottish History,. 47 . p 1 THE MEKCAT CKOSS OF EDINBURGH—ITS SITE AND FORM. 379

Cros 1617n i s , enable determino t s twr u o s oe pointeon t thasa t date: First e exacth , te Hig pointh hn o tStree whico t t Luckenboothe hth s lina n eo came,—thawite ease h hy th t nea gabls t ma Gilesa S s s ra f eo twa ' Church. It supplies us also with a correct outline of the New Parlia- ment House erecte portioa e aren dwhaf th o previousl ao s f no wa t e yth Parochial Cemeter t Giles'S f ye easo th , te cemeter walth f o l y extending Cowgatdowthe nto e wit Kirhthe kpreviousl Wyndwas it as , y calledon , its east side, and two or three other closes or wynds, the one next the Kirk Wynd being calle t Monan's e nexS leadindo th e tw th td o gt an , Fish Market, whic s situatehwa d down neare e Cowgateth r . These ear fixed points which, taken along with other facts now to be stated, throw lighw sne t upo questione nth . In the first volume of the Register of the O-reat Seal, 1814, the follow- ing charter, grante yeae th rDaviy n di b 1365 . dII , goeo t a lonsy gwa determine the question :—" David grants to C. Fergusio de Edinhame, burgess of Edinburgh, that entire land with the pertinents that formerly belonge e latth e o Williat d m Bartholomew,1 withi burge nth f Edinho - burgh, situatee soutth e n hMercao th dsid f o et Cross (crucis fori), between the lands of John Wigmar on the east on the one side, and the land which formerly belonged to Walter de Corry on the other side."2

1 William Bartholome Walted t unknoww an e Corrno d re yar e fame o t n Th . formeprepositusa s e cit wa rth f Edinburgy o f o 1343n hi f o ,e anlattee on ds th wa r the custumars of the burgh in 1343. During the troubled times of David II. the Castle of Edinburgh was in possession of the English, and was captured by the Scotch by a clever stratagem. Walter de Corry, a merchant with a number of bold con- federates, undertoo appeao e Firtkt th f Fort ho n i r h wit Englisn s shia hhi s p a h merchantman offered an , supplo t d Englise yth h garriso Castle th f no e wit supplha y of wincornd an e . Whe e supposenth d provisions arrivee entrancth e t th da o t e Castle waggone th , hamperd san s wer placeo gatewae es th n di y tha portee th t r could t dow le e portcullis t nth no . Douglaassociatess hi d wero san hidinn e i wh , th n gi neighbourhood of the Castle, on a given signal rushed out of their hiding-place, overpowered the guard, and, after a desperate conflict with the garrison, finally suc- ceede n takindi e Castl e ggovernorth th e ; s esquirehi f ,o Limoson sx onlsi d y an , escaping; all the rest were put to the sword. William Bartholomew and Walter de Corry were afterwards rewarded by the king and Parliament for their daring in this clever stratage capturinn mi Castlee gth . Ther evers ei y reaso believo nt e that ownere th thosf shouseo o etw s wer partiee eth s engage thin di s enterprise. 3 Beg. Mag. Sig., p. 40. 0 38 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , JUN , 188614 E .

Three years later there is a charter of confirmation of the same tene- ment in which Walter de Corry is described as on the west side of the land disponed. This charter decide things,—thao stw Crose th t s stood e nort e sout.ot stanth nth no n e h streetdo d th thasidd di f t an o e,i t side of St Giles' Church. It also determines, along with other evidence now to be stated, that the Cross stood at that time at least the length of one tenement east of the gable of the church. From a list of annual rent Blessee s e th altadote th f o rdo t d Virgi e Paristh n ni h Churcf ho t GilesS , compile Johy b d n Eollo, the e commoth n ncitye clerth ,f ko dated 12th September 1369 followine th , g entries occur:— Item, 5 shillings from the land of Thomas Bridyne situated on the south side (jacente ex parte australi) between the land of Symen de Preston on the east side and the land of Laurence de Neth on the west side. Item, shilling5 s froe saimth d e foresai lanth f do d Laurence whicw no h belongs to Eobert of Jeduert. Item, Six shillings from the land of John Wigmar near the west side of the foresaie lanth f do d Robert. Item, shillingn Te s fro lane m th Waltef d o Corre rd y besid Cemeterye eth . Item, Thirteen shillings and four pence from the booths of John Wigmar opposite the laud of the said Walter de Corry on the north and between the venell leadin Cemetere th e souto gt th boothe n hye th o sidconoth d e sd n e an o north side.1 Walter de Corry's tenement is here said to be near or beside the cemetery, and King David's charter places it on the west side of the house opposit e Cross th vere th o thay s ,t a utmost ease th tt gablf o e t GilesS 'mor e coulb t e d no tha Kire widte th th n k f he o Wyn th d dan length of the front of Walter de Corry's house, say 80 or 90 feet, from e cemeterth e charter e churchth e e datyth f th Th walo ed t .a an ,l church was extended about 50 feet eastward subsequent to the date of this charter, 1365. From 1365 downwards there are some five or six other sasines or charter e Register Greate th th e n Register si f th o Seald f Sasines,an o Protocole th n i TowBookse th n ni Council wels a ,variou s a l s entrien si the Exchequer Rolls of , all of which testify to the same effect

down to 1560. 1 " Charter Collegiate th f so e Church t Giles, oS f " Bann. Glut, . 276p . THE MERCAT CROSS OF EDINBURGH—ITS SITE AND FORM. 381

In 1427, "King James I. grants to John Swift, burgis of Edinburgh, and Aliso s spousehi n , that tenement situate soute th n he do th sid f eo King's Street heside the Cross between the tenement of Patrick de Hill on the one side and the tenement of John de Touris of Inverleith— from which an annual rent was to be paid to the heirs of Eoger Wigmar"1 (see pages 366 and 379). n 1558I , thers disponewa e d "a tenemen f lano t de th lyin n i g Burgh of Edinburgh on the south side of the High Street and the Mercat Cross of the same situated between the tenement of the quondam William Williamson on the east and the heritable land of the quondam John Adamso wese th t n part."o n 2 This John Adamso wella s -wa n know e cognomes knowth n wa y s citizeb dayd n hi an n ,f o n" John Adamso e Cross.th t na " Ther severae ear l other sasines l descriptival , e of the locality, and affording ample details of how the buildings in that neighbourhood were occupied. The Cunzie-house or Mint occupied one of the r manmfo y years a plactherd s an ,e ewa calle e veve.rs,th d pre- sumably a fashionable restaurant. There was also a tavern as well at the Kirk Style, beside outee sth r booths, the propert cite 1463th n yi f yo . Coming dow latea o nt r period, 1556, abou centurieo tw t s from 1365, we find in a sasine recorded in the Register of Sasines in the Burgh Kecord, " a tenement situated in the said burgh on the west side of the Merca te same Crosth f ,o s havin e Higth g h e nortStreeth d n an ho t east, and the passage leading to the Collegiate Church of St Giles of the same burgh on the south, and the land formerly belonging to Sir John Eynd Chaplin on the west side." This tenement stood on the east end of the Luckenbooths, and occupied the site on which Creech's Land was afterwards erected, looking dow Hige nth h Street. Gordo Rothiemay'f no s plan (fig ) show2 . exace sth t positio f thino s house d aidan ,s materially n solvini g this question e unmistakablTh . e evidenc f theso e e docu- ments show very conclusively that the old Cross stood on the south side of the High Street in 1365, and that it stood there east of St Giles' Church and the lower end of the Luckenbooths in 1556—some sixty years previou s removait o st 1617n i l .

. M.1R Siq,, . l>.8 2 " Protocol Boo Alexf ko . Guthrie, sen.," vol. i . 382 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JUNE 14, 1886.

On King James the Sixth's proposal to revisit Edinburgh in 1617, after an absence of fourteen years from his native country, it was

Fig. 2. Portion of Gordon of Rothiemay's Map. Tolbuithe Th . 11 . . Foster'36 s Wynd, 12. The or . Monan'S . 38 s Wynd. Kow-gaite Th . 17 . . Fish-marke39 t Wynd. Meie Th l . Market19 . 40. Borthwick's Wynd. 20. The Parliament House. 41. Con's Gloss. 22. The Fish Market. resolved to remove the Cross lower down the street, because, it was an E MBRCATH T CEOSS OB1 EDINBURGH—ITS SITFORMD 3 EAN 38 .

incumbrance to the High. Street at that point.1 The reasons assigned for the removal appears at first sight rather imaginary. A little reflection, however, on the structural arrangements that existed around the church, e growinth d gan necessitie e time th r ope f fo so s w n ne space d an s sites for public buildings to meet those requirements, suggests the idea thae erectioth t n wher t ethei n improve o t stoo realls r ba dwa ya - ment so early as 1540.2 That year the Town Council bought James Preston's land at the east end of St Giles' to open up the space at the " Lady's Steps," and to improve the entrance to the church. Shortly after n 1561i , e civi,th c authorities obtained from Queen Mare th y Greyfriars 'cemetery, w Gardenne a r orden si fo enablo t r e the shumo t t e kirkyarth t GilesS p u f n sanitaro do ' y grounds e CrosTh .s stood 5 feewithi4 e tchurchy th easnsa f d muso t an , t have greatly incom- moded, not only the entrance to the church, but also to the Kirk and St Monan's Wynds e use Th kirkyare s are.e th mad th f a o f eo erectn d i - Parliamene th g in t House subsequen removae e Crossth th d o t f t an o ,l shortly thereafter the entire destruction of the closely-built area, as shown in that locality on Gordon's plan, embracing both the Kirk and t Monan'S e serectio th Wynds d f handsomo nAn . e public buildings upon the area, leaving an open square, very clearly shows that the removal of the Cross lower down the street gave great facilities for carryin t thesgou e city improvements. spacee Th s occupied betwee e Kirnth kFise Wynth h d Markedan t

1 The only reference in the Town Council Record is the following :— . " Decimo Octavo decembris jmvjcxvi. Provoste quhile th ''y Th kda , Baillies, Deyn f Gilo e d Thesaure Counsald an r l being conveynit ordainis Johnne Byris Thesaurer to caus tak doun the Croce and to reedifi same eth e agane and_plac t loweei r neire advyse Troe Bailliee th rth th e nf b e o s Deyn Gilf eo d David "Wilson Nicoll Vduart." From the Treasurer's accounts it appears that'the erection of the new Cross was set about immediately 17t e os na th ,h February 1617, ther s paid—wa e "Item, This day, when the Croce was fundit, given to the Al Measones amongst them, £5 6 8 " r and on the25 March—"Item, for six tries tane to EdwardStewartfrom John Murra helo yt ingyne pth , 30striek on eel . ,t tha Croce se £91s th t ewa 0 2 1617 March—Th5 2 , e Croc f Edinburgo e t upopu e this ny th da hswa new seat, and payit for Disjoyne and Denner to the Mariners in Leyth, £21 13 0 " 2 Council Records, 1540. 384 . PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JUNE 14, 1886.

Closes can still be determined with accuracy as they existed in 1647, when Gordon's map was executed, and there is every reason to believe thasame th t e arrangemen closef o t s existe e early.perioth t da f 1365do . chartere th l sasined Al san f propertso y referre implo dt y this. Although Kire th k Wyn alsd t Monan'doan S botsw Wynhno e effacee dar th n o d sout e High th sid f ho e Street e Cowgatth , e portion thef so m still exist under other names,—Old Meal Marke Heron'd an t s Closes,—enablins gu so far to determine the length of the fronts of the tenements referred to in the charters and sasines quoted as having been situated south of the Cross, and east and west of it in 1365, and later from 1565 to 1647. These arrangements enable us to determine the relative position of the Cross with a degree of accuracy that would otherwise be unattainable. The result thus gathere dinformatioe th fro l mal n adduced lead thio st s conclusion, thae originath t l Cros t sheae S r closstoo th o f d o y t eb a d Monan's Wynsoute th n he Higdo sidth f heo Street, abou fee5 4 t t east from the present gable of St Giles' Church, and about 90 fe.et from the then gabl n 1365i e mosd an , t likely abou e samth t e distance froe mth front of the houses in the High Street as the one erected in 1617 did. structure th f I e recently erecte d beeha dn placed som 4 fee2 e t farther north, it would have occupied as near as may be the identical site of the one taken down in 1617. What was the form of the Cross taken down in 1617? There is now an accumulation of evidence bearing upon the question that Mr Drum- mond does not appear to have had before him at the time he wrote his paper. And, besides carefua , statementw lfe readin e th whicn f so g o h he based his theory plainly leads to conclusions the very opposite of thos dree eh w from them. e followinTh g entry, froe Councilmth Records 1555n i s , whewa t ni propose tako t d e dow thee nth n existing structure, rebuilo t n d o .t an d i the same site, affords something like satisfactory evidence both as to its forheight:d man — 22 March 1555.—On the which, Archibald Douglas of Kilspindy, provost, John Syme, Edward Hoip, bailies, Eobert Lindsay, Alexander e Bructh f o e Counsale, James Young, Patrick Durham, James Porret, Andro Elphinstoun, dekinnes, understandand forsamekill as the Mercat Croce and rowme thairof THE MERCAT CROS EDINBURGH—ITF O S S FORMSITD 5 AN E38 .

beand rowpit threw the toune to se quha wald big the samyn in buith or buithis on their expens and tak the samyn in rentale of the towne for ane yeirlie promt, comperit divers personis amongi quhilkie sth s comperit William Huchesoun e offerih d t an ,yeirli e thairfor twelf merkis becaud an , s nane bade mair the personis above written consentit that the said William suld big the d noohan rnao t e w t saith kno ds i e rowmbreit e Croci th th s f f da o o e e samyn brader, nor yit to hoik it hower nor the calsay, and to mak the wallis thairof substantious and the worke likwys and set the lang stane as it is now, and to mak the interes to the heid thairof for proelamationis as it is now without impediment, and the interes to the buith or buithis to be just of the calsay and without any steppis; and the said William to be rentalit yierlie thairin on Mertyma saie airith s dsr hi yierli evisfo d eftenm an ehi r dewtie alanerlie; thairafted an e saith rd e Williath g airis bi hi mo st d ban d oblisan an dm hi t said Croce in buith or buithis as said is on his awne expens, and to begin the iirst terms payment of the said 12 merks yierlie at Mertymes nixt to com, and als sail infeft the towne in his landis lyand in Grayis Clois for sure payment saie merkio2 th df1 s town e yierlith d poino et e an buit e dth buithir ho e b o st bigit as said is nochttheles; and James Anderson baillie, James Carmichael dene of guild, Maister Johne Prestoun thesaurer, Eichard Carmichael, Jame Broun, William Lauson, John Litill of the Counsale, Thomas Ewin. and Johne Hamiltoun dekynnis, disassente e premissith o dt thairupo d san n askit instru- ments. questioe Th n arises s thisWa , intended rebuildin e Crosth f sgo ever carried out 1 Mr Adam, the city chamberlain, who is quite at home in all matters connected with the old accounts of the city, has carefully looked into thi arrives se conclusio ha questionth e t h da d an n, that this rebuilding never took place. The entry from the Council Records shows this, that nine voted for the rebuilding and nine voted against it, and protested thao t e s adoptedproposa, th no t s wa l. The e accountth n s show that within a year or so expenses were incurred by the Council in mendin dooe othed gth an r r Crosse partth f so , beside "s dychted,wa t si " occasionall e publith t a yc expense. d thiAn s 1 expenditure appears

1 1555 June.—Item,7 ,2 that samyMungo t y nda o Hunter lod e smythkan an r .fo key to the Mercat Croce, iijs. 1558.—Item Davio t , d Graham Robt. Gumming masoni mendinr sfo grathind gan g of ye Market Groee and Tolbuith Stair. 1560.—Item, for an Croce e banth eo durdt , .... 3s . Item, dychtinr Crocee fo th f , go ..... 6d . Item, for mending of the lok of the Croce tiur, . . .Is. 6d. VOL. XX. 2 B 386 PBOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JUNE 14, 1886.

froaccountse mth havo t , e continued long afterwards therd an ;s thie i s very important' fact, neither "William Huchesoun, s heirs oy hi f an , r "no ever pai yearle dth ymerks2 ren1 f o t , whicrecore th y hdb he'was taken bound to pay. It may be said this evidence is only negative, but fol- lowing the fact-that the resolution to rebuild the Cross was not carried in actioo n e Council s th a n could an , d follo ampls wi t froi y, m it sufficien t to confirm the idea that the old Cross that stood there before 1555 con- tinued standing until the structure was taken down in 1617. Be that as it may, the terms, however, in which the resolution is framed indicate very clearly the form of structure as it stood at that time:—"The entrance to the head of the building for making proclamations was to be made as it was then without any impediment; and the lang stane was to be set as it is now." We know, also, from written records, that it had a door, which was kept locked, and a stair up to the top, from which proclama- tions were made. On festive occasions tables were placed on the top of it at which kings and magnates sat, " drinking the blood red wine;" whil n anotheo e r occasion Jame . wensVI t upo Crose nth s with certain of his nobles, and heard a sermon preached by Mr Patrick Galloway.1 Oe occasio nth entre th f Queef yo no n Ann, wif f Jameo e se VI.th o t , e 19t th y 1590cit hn Ma yo e stoppe,sh d e Mercatwicth t a e t Cross befor ee entr goinTh o yt g. it int e churchf cominn oth o o t d ou gan , churce th Lady' e t thaha th t ta stims Stepewa sCross:e closth y eb — Thus she passed on to the Crosse, upon the topp whereof she had a psalme sung in. verie good musicke, before her coming to the churche, which done, her Majestie came forth of her chariot, and was carried into St Giles' Church, where she had a sermon preached by Mr Kobert Bruce. That ended, with r Highnesspraire carries he r wa fo s e d r chariotsh ,agai he o nt . Againsr he t

Augustf o y "Thda , 1 e16001 , being Monday e Kinth , g came ovee waterth r . 1 The toun with the hail suburbis, met him upon the sandiss of Leithe in armes with great joy schuttind ,an f muskettisgo shakind an , Kirf e pikesg o wene th kH o t .t 'of Leith to Mr David Lindesayis orisone. Therafter, the toun of Edinburgh having convenit up to Edr., and standing at the hie gait, hes Majestie past to the Crosse, the Crosse being hung with tapestrie, and went up theron with his nobilla. Mr Patrick Galloway being thair, made ane sermone upon the 124 psalm; he declarit the haill circumstances of the treasone proposit by the Earle of Cowrie and his brother, quhilk the King testifiet bi his awen mouth sitting upon the Crosse all the time of the sermon."—Birrets Diary, p. 50. THE MERCAT CEOSS OF EDINBURGH—ITS SITE AND FOEM. 387

coming forth, there stood upon the top of the Crosse a table covered, where- upon stood cup f golssilveo d dan r ful winef o l , wit Godese hth Cornf so d ean Wine sitting thereat, and the corne in heaps by her, who in Latin, cried that there shoul e plentib d e thereor time Crosse he side th n , i ff th ari eo en do sat e Bacchud Go e th s upo punchiona f wineno , winkin castind gcupfuly an b t gi l upon the people, besides others of the tounsmen that cast apples and nuts amon e Crossgth thed e an mitsel ; f ranne claret wine upo caulswaye nth r fo , the royalty of that day.1 e noticTh f Queeeo n Mary's entry into Edinburg secone th y n ho dda of September 1561 , e giveDiurnalth n ni f Occurrentso n Scotland,i afford s moru s e information regardin e Cros e th for t th gf thaa s mo t time, which can only be read in one way. After an entertainment in the Castle, the Queen rode into the city accompanied by a large retinue, and afte usuae th r l ceremon Buttee th t ya r Trone proceedee sh , o dt "n o the Tolbuith, at the quhilk was twa skaffattis, ane above and ane under that; upo e unde s th situan faie wa r ran t virgin, called Fortune, under quhile th tliris kwa e fair virgynnis l cle al , maisn di t precious attyrement, callit [Prudence], Justice Policied afte liteld e ,an an An r l .speitch e maid thair e quenith , s grac ee Crocecamth o t e, qnhair thais standanwa r d four fair virgynis, cled in the maist hevenlie clothing, and frae the e spouttiquhilth t a n kgrei i st croc ou te win n th abundancee ra e ; noyise th thai s pepilf so wa r l castin e glassigth s with wyne." e Treasurer'Th s account se seventeent th prio o t r h century contain many interesting details of the expenditure incurred by the Council in connection with these festive occasions at the Mercat Cross. It is only necessary here, however o refet , theo t a generar mn i l waywine Th e. that was used on these occasions is very frequently noticed, and some of the notices give a graphic account of how it was made to run out of the spouts of the Cross. There is in the accounts of one of these civic jollification n itea s f expenditurmo e pai r placinfo d e puncheoth g f no Crosse win th anothe d n eo an , r item e plumbepaith o dt layinr fo r e gth leaden pipe r conveyinsfo e wingth e fro e puncheomth e spoutth o f nt so the Cross. Two of the following extracts clearly indicate that the body of the Cross was not a solid structure, but had an open space within its

walls like the one that was erected in 1617:— Paper1 s relating to the Marriage of James VI., Bannatyns Club, p. 41. 388 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JUNE 14, 1886.

In 1556.—Item, in primis, on this xij day of October to ane warkman, and for hadde burno rt e Englisohe Meroa e biiikth n so t Croce, . .xviij" . 1588.—n I Item e xiii th f Septembe, o j r mendinfo r e lon gth ki the Croce house dur to ane Smyth, . . . .• . . iij3. In 1602.—Item, the flftene day of November payit for afe taking Croce th e e af dur k r mendinlo fo s e oan f g thairoe Smythth o t f , with dichting of the samyn within and without, .... vjs. viijd. l thesAl e references usee Crosse th o for e st th d th f ,m o an bot,o t s ha applieds wa t i ,f o clearl p to whic ye imple th are hth n ao y tha bode th t y structure oth f surmountes ewa staia platforma d ry ha db tha d d le t an , up to the platform on which stood the "lang stane." It is impossible, in the absence of direct testimony, now to say what amount of ornamentation decorated the body of that structure. One thing, however s certaini , , thae lonth tg stone that surmounte th s present erection also buildine stooth n do g takethas twa n dow 1617.n i 1 All the available evidence, therefore, that can now be gathered, calcu- late throo dt w light upon eithe e style for th f th architecturrr e o mo f eo the original Cross, goes to prove that Sir Walter Scott's description of e morth e modern Cros s equallwa s y taken e applicablon e dowth o t en in 1617— " Dunedin's Cross, a pillared stone, Kose on a turret octagon." How lon t i gstoo d there previou thao st t perio nevey ascere dma b r - e ornamentatioth tained t Bu e capita"e . th pillareth f f no o l d stone " is purely Gothic, and closely resembles the carving on one or more of the clustered pillars in St Giles' Church, none of which, so far as is known, were erected before 1387. The fact of the ornamentation of the octagonal pillar of the Cross being Gothic naturally leads to the con- clusion tha ornamentatioe th t structure th f no esame itsel alsth s f eoo wa f character; for in those early times there was no mixing up of pure Gothic and Classic styles of architecture in our public buildings, although that 1 "We are told by Calderwood "that on the 25 March 1617 the old Croce was taken down, the old long stone having been translated, with the assistance of certain mariners from Leith, from the place where it stoode, past memorie of man, to a place beneathe in the High Street, without anie harm to the stane; and the bodie of the old Cross demolisheds ewa anothed an , r buildit, whereupo lone nth g ston r obleiseo k was t up.erectise d " an t THE MEKCAT CROSS OF EDINBDEGH—ITS SITE AND FOEM. 389

practice seem havo st e been adopted abou beginnine th t seventeente th f go h century, when several market crosses were designed after that fashion. Hitherto all discussion has turned upon the site and the form of the original Cross t nothinbu , s saii g d abou s originit t . Traditio muts ni e regarding it, and there is no legend—no miracle associated with its history s havint doe it face Bu f th so .t g stoo de hea closth f a,dy o b e wynd, knownamt e Monan'S th e f oldey eo th n b n si time t suggesno , t somethin s probablit o t s ga e origin s positioIt . nchurce closth y f ehb o cit the earlyin y idetimethe a earlieto thasan leadon at t r perious s d than 136 e kirkyar5th n connectioi d n wite churc th hy hav ma he extended ove a larger r are thaat a tweltha is timedid nlIt it know. n that durin r Earle perioou th g y f o dChurc h history d indeean , d dow o comparativelt n y recent times e publith , c markets were heln i d the burying-grounds around the parochial churches. Then the fairs and markets, almosn invariabla s a t e ruleeacd ha ,h their patron saintsd an , were held on holy days, and especially on Sundays. Our own Hallow- Mass casa Fai pointn s ei i r . Whethe Crosd beeol d e sha n th r origin- ally raised to perpetuate the fame of St Monaii or some other saint, or to commemorate some forgotten event in our national or civic history, is now likely to remain a mystery.1 St .Monan is said to have been one of the companions of St Adrian, who came to preac1 h to the Picts at the close of the eighth century, and who suffered death by the burie s handDanee islane th wa th f t Inverde Mayf mainlandsa n e o s di o H th .n yo , smala and dlha chape shrinr o l e erected ove graves rhi , which acquire reputatioda n for effecting cures on diseased devotees who visited it. There is a notice in Bower's ScoticJironicon narrating an incident said to have occurred to King David II. that may have some bearing upon this idea. The king was wounded at the battle of Durham wit n arrowe hbara Th b . remaine e wounth severan r di d fo l years there- after surgeone th , s being unabl extrackine o et th g ; madit t shrine visiea th o t e t MonanoS f , whe e barth n b miraculousl e scar n 136yth I leapef . 2o t Davidou d resolved to adorn the shrine with a handsome church. The Exchequer Rolls between that date and the death of the king in 1370 show that considerable sums of money were given to Sir William Dishington, the steward of the king's household, churc w t MonanS ne erectio e fo o he t th r th account.e f nth t o all Tha r no fo ; s ti s for Edinburgh in 1364, in the same volume of the Rolls show that two payments were made of £13, 6s. 8d. out of the great customs to Sir Thomas de Moravia, one of the chaplain t Monan'S f so s Church. r threo Fro o em tw othe r similar payments were mad otheo et r chaplains servin e samth en g i churchpositiv o n f I .e inference can be drawn from these facts, the coincidence is at least worth noticing.